GREAT BRITAIN. Gold Troy Ounce Ingot, ND (ca. 1960). London Mint (Royal Mint Refinery). PCGS MS-62.

A-402. AGW: .9968 oz. Fineness: .995. This early ingot was produced on the troy ounce standard, and likely refined at a time before reaching .999 level purity was practicable. An interesting example in the history of precious metal refining. Established in 1852, the Royal Mint Refinery was operated by N.M. Rothschild & Sons for more than 100 years. By the time it ceased operations in 1968, the Refinery developed such a stellar reputation that it was processing much of the gold and silver bullion sent to London from around the world. After a 47-year hiatus, the Royal Mint revived the Royal Mint Refinery brand in 2015, although the present example clearly dates to the earlier period under Rothschild & Sons.